Any older mums out there who decided against screening?

[babycakes26]

I am 39 and 12 weeks pg and booked in for a NT scan tomorrow. Have been having second thoughts about having any screening at all and wondered if any older mums out there felt or feel similar?

Yes! I had my first at 39 and am pregnant with my 2nd at 41. I have had scans, but these are non intrusive. Dh and I decided both times that we would not have the blood tests, as these would probably only make me worry (they only give you % likelihoods of certain conditions), and that an amnio was something we werent going to contemplate anyway.

This is not an easy decision to make, I do worry that my baby might have some disability, but of course there is no guarantee these would be picked up by screening anyway.

I was 37 when I was pregnant with DS#2. I had a normal 20 week scan which showed soft markers for Downs and Edwards. Along with my age this meant that there was a reasonable risk of the baby having problems. Went back for a further scan a week later and things had improved a little. Was offered amnio but as neither DH or I were really willing to terminate and there was some risk to the foetus, and the amnio still wouldn't give us a 100% answer, we decided to leave it.

I didn't have the double (or triple as it became) test with any of my pregnancies for the reasons I mentioned above. Looking back it seems illogical for us to have had the scans in the first place I suppose but seeing the baby was such a landmark.

I was 37 when I had ds2 and had no other screening except the usual scan and blood test.

I had dd2 at 43. I decided to go for the nuchal - but not the blood tests.

My reasoning was that if the nuchal looked OK I def wd not go for blood test. If I had the blood test and got a high reading there was no way I was going for an amnio and possibility of mc (I have a history of recurrent mcs). It was going to be my last chance to have a baby and I would never forgive myself if I lost a healthy baby.

Dh nad I talked about what would happen if child was disabled and decided:

1. The tests only show a couple of disabilities and our child could be born with a disability you can't screen for. There are no guarantees.

2. We would keep the baby and I would not have a termination (no moral reason, just personal choice).

It's such a personal decision - but the root of it is the question "Would I terminate?" If no, then the tests are rather pointless IMO

Thanks everyone this is my first after a number of miscarriages and we already know that we wouldn't terminate whatever so I suppose I am wasting my time having the nuchal anyway as this will just worry me if test results say higher than average risk for my age. I booked the NT on advice of friends who are older mums a week ago without really giving this 100% thought before doing so. Really appreciate your comments - thx x

Thanks Fondant you summed up my thinking and although I have booked for the NT plus bloods I think I will just have the scan now - this is what I was leading to doing and you helped me to make my decision xx

Hi babycakes.

I was 41.

I had the bloodtests but now wish I hadn't because inevitably they showed a high risk for Downs. It wasn't until I got the results that I realised I wouldn't consider an amnio and so I just got months of worry instead.

Having said that, my confidence quickly grew despite the blood test results and I had a really enjoyable pregnancy, loved it in fact.

Given another chance I would have scans only.

I was 42 after long time trying and 1m/c the year before.
I only heard about nuchal because I was so adamant that I would NOT be having amnio. Luckily we had a good result and same for ds2 when I was 43.
I didn't have the NHS hospital blood tests as the consultant said they put your age into the equation and so I would get a really bad result with just blood tests.
I don't think I would have terminated (you never know for sure till its you in the situation imo) but felt that if anything was going to be flagged up then it would help to have advance notice.

BTW my friend age 40 had nuchal last year, and 12 wk dating scan, everything ok. It was the 20 week scan that showed up terrible anomalies, so don't assume that a good nuchal means a perfect baby everytime. The 20 week scan came as more of a shock to her (if thats possible) as the good nuchal result had made her think everything was fine.

I was 40 when pg with DD and 43 with DS.
Was slightly bamboozled into the triple test with DD, registrar and midwife were trying to book me in for amnio straight away, I knew a bit about the test and said I wanted that instead. They agreed reluctantly, kept saying that it would come back high "because of my age" and they would ring me as soon as they got it to book the amnio. It didn't, was 1800:1 I think which is apparently very low, so I never got the call and I would have told them to stuff it even if they had called!

With DS we were more clued up and the consultant was brilliant. He had much the same attitude as fondant4000, and us, though he offered the nuchal on the NHS if we wanted it.
We didn't have any testing and haven't regretted it at all. DS is now 2.4 and trying to get me off the "pooter"!!

Good luck with it all

Thx Feetheart - all your messages are making me feel much better about things I think it is almost expected that all older mums will go through the screening - I almost feel pushed along by it all - my mum has also just reminded me that there were no such tings as scans in her day lol

I had nothing other than the standard scans - no bloods, no nuchal. I was ummm 42 I think (your memory goes when you get to my age ) I decided that my stats were going to be so crap anyway with my age and I wasn't going to terminate (unless it was something horrible that would mean the baby wouldn't live which would show at the 20 week scan), there didn't seem much point. I had also had a mmc with my previous pregnancy and didn't want to put this one at risk.,

Hi, I am pg with our first and I am 37. We didn't do the double tests etc because at the end of the day, it took years to conceive and I would never have an amnio. Tests leading up to that were not conclusive enough - would probably just give me more questions and make me worry more.

Just everything standard from the NHS for me with the exception of a 3d scan which I am having tomorrow!

I bypassed screening altogether and went for a diagnostic test.

I'm 39 and 28 weeks pregnant with baby#3. I was given the option of the triple test but we decided against it because we felt that we wouldn't do anything about the results anyway and what's the point of all that worry for the rest of the pregnancy. However at my 12 week scan the Dr said he'd try and do the nuchal fold - ???? , but to our relief baby wouldn't play and get in the right position. So we are still in blissful ignorance but know that there's still a chance!

It's a purely personal decision I'm afraid

My best friend went straight to an amnio with no screening (she was 37)
I had nucal and blood test with my last pregnancy. I just looked up the numbers ( I was 37 at the time) with no scans 1/236 risk of DS, after scan 1/1977 risk and after triple est 1/6459. so I think what I'm trying to say is just because you are older it doesn't mean you will get a bad blood result. What I understand is the combination of the 2 increase the certainty of the result. I am currently pg again and have a nucal booked next week I'm 41 this time so fingers crossed.
babycakes good luck with what every you decide

I am 40 and I decided even before I was pregnant that I was going to decline screening. Part of this was because the triple test only gives you a probability not a yes or no so I did not see the point esp as a friend had it and was given a low risk but had a downs child (who is lovely and she would not swap for the world now) but also because I would not consider a termination as this was probably my last chance of a successful pregnancy. I certainly was not going to risk a amnio for because of the risk of miscarriage and if I was not going to consider a termination what would be the point of adding the risk?

I am lucky my Midwife only asked me once at my booking appointment and when I declined that was it no further questions.

I am 40 and I decided even before I was pregnant that I was going to decline screening. Part of this was because the triple test only gives you a probability not a yes or no so I did not see the point esp as a friend had it and was given a low risk but had a downs child (who is lovely and she would not swap for the world now) but also because I would not consider a termination as this was probably my last chance of a successful pregnancy. I certainly was not going to risk a amnio for because of the risk of miscarriage and if I was not going to consider a termination what would be the point of adding the risk?

I am lucky my Midwife only asked me once at my booking appointment and when I declined that was it no further questions.

I nust say at the outset, what happened in my pregnancy was very, very rare and I am the only woman I know (out of more than 10) who got pg at 39+, who has ended up with a baby with special needs.
I had nuchal, measurements were fine--so decided not to risk m/c by having amnio or CVS.
DD's excess brain fluid wasn't identified until 22 wks pg--and even though I went on to have amnio (I was worried she might have Edwards syndrome); fetal MRI (no problems except for fluid) and very regular ultrasound scans, nobody could tell me more about what was wrong with DD. So in a lot of ways the worry wasn't really worth going through.
Once she was born we had to go into SCBU with feeding problems (which she still has) and we still have no diagnosis. I love her so much--every tiny thing she achieves is a celebration and when she signed 'hello' back to us this week after months of looking at us as if we were bonkers to wave our hands around, I was the proudest mum in London!
Wishing you luck with your pregnancy.

I will be 39 when DC3 arrives arrives in May. I had the NTS and bloods and I wasn't high risk but my results were not as good as with my first 2, but I was definitely advised against having a CVS which I took on board easily but I still agonised about having an Amnio and in the end cancelled the appointment. By 16 or 17 weeks I knew I was too pregnant to do anything anyway and it was only a few more weeks till the 19week scan where they could check for markers. Nothing showed up at the 19week scan. I have been a lot more fearful during this pregnancy than my last two who were born in 2003 and 2005. I have another scan to check the position of the placenta at 33 weeks and I will get them to check the markers again. Forewarned would be forearmed. I don't see much argument over having non-invasive scans. I felt differently with this pregnancy initially as I knew that my decision would affect a family of 4 not of 2 or 3.

Hi all
Have my nuchal tonight (just scan) thanks for all your advice and taking time to put down your own experiences - you have been so helpful bless you all x

BC hope it all goes well tonight

hi babycakes
i'm so glad you posted this
i just posted a similar question on the older mums thread as everyone on there is talking about their nt scan and i was worried i was being irresponsible.
i'm 41 and will be 42 when i have the baby (hopefully he/she will come a bit early and i'll still be 41!)

Hearing lots of others feel the same as me that does reassure me
like alot of you have said - this is my last chance and god forbid if anything wasn't quite right with my baby then i'd just have to cope.
But I am feeling very positive and don't want the worry of a dodgy scan, blood test etc
no way would i have an amnio as i read in one of my baby magazines about a lady who did and then miscarried a healthy baby
but we are all different and no decision is right or wrong.
let us know about your scan babycakes